Maine Pay Transparency Law: What Employers Must Do Before July 29

Governor Janet Mills signed LD 54, “An Act to Require Employers to Disclose Pay Ranges and Maintain Records of Employees’ Pay Histories,” on April 24, 2026. Codified at 26 M.R.S. § 622-A, it takes effect July 29, 2026. The law makes Maine the latest of the growing list of states with posting laws — and because it was enacted this spring with little fanfare, awareness among employers is unusually low for a law this close to its effective date.

Quick facts

Law

LD 54, codified at 26 M.R.S. § 622-A

Signed

April 24, 2026 (Gov. Janet Mills)

Effective date

July 29, 2026

Employer threshold

10 or more employees (posting requirement)

Required: pay range

Yes — anticipated range of pay for the position

Required: benefits

No

Commission-only roles

Must state the position is commission-based instead of a range

On-request disclosure

Yes — current employees can request the pay range for their position (all employers)

Recordkeeping

Pay-history records for the duration of employment plus 3 years

Penalty

$100–$500 per violation (civil fine)

Enforced by

Maine Department of Labor

What the posting requirement covers

Employers with 10 or more employees must disclose the anticipated range of pay in job postings. The range can be based on the employer’s pay scales, the range previously paid for the role, the range paid for equivalent positions, or the budgeted amount for the position. For commission-only roles, the posting must state that compensation is commission-based — no range is required.

One open question: the statute does not clearly say whether the 10-employee threshold counts only Maine employees or total company headcount. Until the Maine Department of Labor issues rules (rulemaking is expected — the law funds a new inspector position), multi-state employers near the threshold should assume they are covered.

The two requirements that apply to every employer

The posting rule has a 10-employee threshold, but two companion obligations do not. First, any employee can request the pay range for their current position, and the employer must provide it. Second, employers must maintain records of employees’ pay histories for the duration of employment plus three years. Small Maine employers who assume the law skips them are still on the hook for both.

What to do before July 29

The effective date lands mid-hiring-cycle, and any posting live on July 29 without a pay range is exposed. Between now and then:

1. Inventory open postings. Every posting for a role performable in Maine — on your careers page, LinkedIn, Indeed, and ATS-syndicated boards — needs an anticipated pay range added before the effective date.

2. Set defensible ranges. The statute points to pay scales, prior pay for the role, equivalent positions, or the budgeted amount. Document which basis you used — that record is your defense if the Department of Labor asks.

3. Stand up the recordkeeping process.Pay-history records must survive the employee’s tenure plus three years. If your payroll system already retains this, confirm the retention window; if not, fix it now.

4. Brief whoever answers employee questions.On-request range disclosure applies to all employers from day one. Managers and HR should know the answer is “yes, here it is” — not “let me check if we have to.”

Frequently asked questions